AU. What if instead of being a Police Officer, Tony served in The Army prior to joining NCIS? What if Tony and Kate met in High School and had a child when they were both 15? This is the story of Tony's life in The US Army's Elite Delta Force. There will be appearances by Gibbs, Kate, Ziva, Malachi & Liat. 1st of a series. Rated T for Violence, Language & Adult themes

"Roger that" replied Tony. "Alpha-01 out". He turned back to his men and yelled, "We got friendlys coming in from the west, they need cover fire" he ordered. The Rangers opened up with an impressive amount of suppressive fire. One by one, Bauer's team made it safely to cover. "Welcome to Hotel Hell" Tony said with a laugh and a smile.

"He didn't make it this far. He's got a casualty collection point about 2 klicks east" said Tony. "Any news on the convoy?" Tony asked.

"No, we left before Tom got back" said Jack.

By 2200 hours, what was left of Major Colleton's convoy had arrived at The Soccer Stadium, where the 10th Mountain Division was located. When his HUMVEE came to a stop, Major Colleton jumped out and was greeted by a Tank Commander named Captain Michael Pound. "Major Colleton Sir" said Pound saluting.

Tom returned the salute and said "Captain?"

"Pound, Michael Pound" he replied.

"Captain Pound. How long until the 10th is ready to move?" asked Colleton.

"I don't have that information Sir, but I can take you to my CO, Lieutenant Colonel Pershing, he'll have that answer for you" said Pound.

"Very well. Lead the way Captain" said Colleton, reluctantly. Captain Pound led Major Colleton through rows of tents. As they walked, Colleton notice a rather long line of Tanks and other armored vehicles for what appeared to be a gas pump. Captain Pound stopped at the last row of tents. In front of him was a large tent. Colleton opened the flap and walked inside.

"Who the hell are you?" yelled a Lieutenant Colonel with a thick Georgian accent.

"Major Thomas Colleton, 2nd Rangers" replied Colleton.

"Rangers" said the Lieutenant Colonel with disgust in his voice.

"You got a problem with us?" asked Colleton.

"Maybe I do, you South Carolina piece of shit" said the Lieutenant Colonel.

"Are you Lieutenant Colonel Pershing?" asked Tom, who was trying his hardest to keep his cool.

"Who's asking?" he replied.

"You know my name" Tom replied, as he was getting ever so closer to losing his cool.

"You're that South Carolina shit head that punched my good buddy Scott McCoy and got him relieved of his command" said Pershing as stood up. "Why the fuck should I help you?" he said as he spat on the ground.

Colleton drew his sidearm, a Baretta 9mm, cocked it and fired a round next to Pershing. Then, he pointed the pistol right at Pershing's head and told him "Because the next one will be in your head". After hearing the shot, Captain Pound came running into the tent. Colleton looked to him and said "Lieutenant Colonel Pershing has been relieved of his command, Captain Pershing, assume command. Now!" he ordered.

"Unfortunately Sir, it will take us about 4 hours to get everything fueled and ready, Sir" said Pound.

"4 Fucking Hours! Why the fuck is it going to take that long?" questioned Tom.

"Orders Sir. Secretary of Defense Aspin ordered that the tanks and armored vehicles be both unfueled and unarmed will here, so as not to give the appearance that we are ready to invade" said Pound.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me" yelled Colleton.

"Unfortunately Sir, I'm not" said Pound gravely.

"God fucking dammit. Do you at least have the fuel and munitions here to load into them?" asked Tom.

"Yes Sir, we do, but it will take 4 hours to get them ready to go" replied Pound.

"Very well, convey that message to General Garrison, and inform him of the situation of Lieutenant Colonel Pershing" ordered Colleton.

0130 hours, Crash Site #1. Starting at midnight, the General Aidid's Militia made an all-out assault to re-capture the square and the crash site. The Militia was pressing fast, so Tony decided to call in for CAS. "Command, this Alpha-01, requesting CAS over" he yelled into his radio.

"Alpha-01, this is Mini-Bird 1 & 2, we are on station, ready for gun run, over" said The Pilot of the lead Little Bird.

"Copy that Mini-Bird, will mark target with IR Beacon" said Tony.

"Roger" replied the Pilot.

Tony looked over at Malachi and yelled "Mal, I need an IR Beacon, post ricki-tick". Malachi reached into a pouch that was strapped to his left thigh and pulled out the beacon. Then he tossed it to Tony. Tony turned on the beacon. Aiming for a roof top across the street, he threw it. The beacon was just short as it hit the wall and fell to the street below. "God Dammit" yelled Tony. Tony looked up and down the street and up at the roof top above. He un-slung his M-16 and laid it down against the wall. Malachi watched as this transpired and knew what Tony was planning.

"Don't even think about it Tony!" yelled Malachi

"Too late" yelled Tony as he darted across the war-torn street.

"Oh shit. Covering Fire!" yelled Malachi. The Rangers who could here him, including Sergeant Martin, turned the fire to the roof top above Tony. Tony had made it across the street and he retrieved the beacon from the pile of rubble and tossed it up onto the roof top.Then his radio cracked in his ear

"Alpha-01, we have IR Beacon spotted, beginning gun run" said the little bird pilot. The Little Birds swooped in and hovered right over Tony's position. The Little Birds' M-242 Chain Guns spun up and started spewing out death at 5,000 rounds per minute. The scolding hot brass from the guns fell to the ground below, right on top of Tony.

"AHHHHH!" he screamed as the hot metal burned his flesh. "Son of A Bitch" he screamed. After what seemed like an eternity for Tony, but was in reality only 2 minutes, The Little Birds pulled away. Tony stood there stunned for a few seconds, before he snapped out of his daze and darted back across the street. When he got there, he found Malachi and Sergeant Martin waiting for him.

"Permission to speak freely Sir" said Martin.

"What?" asked Tony, nearly out of breath.

"Your fucking crazy sir" said Martin with a smile on his face.

Tony smiled and said "Damn Right"

0200 hours, Mogadishu Soccer Stadium. The HUMVEES and M113 APCs were loaded up with fuel and ammo. Despite his wishes to use the M1A1s, Major Colleton had received direct orders from Secretary of Defense Les Aspin, not to use them. "Fuckin bastard" said Tom to himself. With his HUMVEE in the lead, Major Colleton pulled up the Main Gate, and had his drive stop. He stepped out of the HUMVEE with his M-16 in his right hand. He raised the rifle above his head and yelled "Our Brothers are still out there gentlemen. Time to do some good!" he yelled as he jumped back into his HUMVEE. "Let's go" he said to his driver.

0330 hours. After spending an hour and a half fighting there way through, Major Colleton's Convoy finally arrived at Captain Morrell's casualty collection point. Major Colleton's HUMVEE pulled up, and the Major Jumped out, where he was greeted by Morrell. " Fashionably late as always, Tom" said Morrell with a smile on his face.

"Well, you know me Irv, better late than never" said Colleton, returning the smile.

"OK, start loading the wounded, let's move" ordered Morrell.

0500, crash site #1. Captain Anthony Dominick DiNozzo had now been engaged inn almost non-stop action for 20 straight hours. Then he heard a rumbling sound. He looked over at Malachi and said "Hey Mal, you hear that?" he asked.

"Yeah, what the hell is that?" he asked. Just then HUMVEEs and M-113s crashed through a pile of rubble and entered the circle. Overhead, The Blackhawks and Little Birds hovered, raining death onto the Militia. Tony could only smile, when he saw Tom Colleton step out of the lead HUMVEE.

"It's about Fucking time, Tom" said Tony smiling.

"Did you and Irv Morrell rehearse that? Cause he told me the same thing" said Colleton smiling. Thanks to the CAS and heavy MG fire from THE Convoy, The Rangers were able to cut the bodies of the dead crew members out of the Blackhawk. After they did so, they set a C4 charge inside and blew it up. By the time everyone was loaded, it was 0530. because of the amount of wounded at both Crash Site #1 and The Casualty collection point, they was no room left in the vehicles for Malachi and Tony, as well as Sergeant Martin. "How about the room" asked Colleton.

Tony and Malachi looked at each other and said "Why Not". The Convoy took off, with Tony, Malachi and Sergeant Martin running behind them. 20 minutes later, the convoy returned to the soccer stadium. Major Colleton was greeted by General Garrison.

"Hell of job Tom" said Garrison.

"Thank you sir" said Tom, saluting. "It would have been a lot easier if that moron Aspin hadn't been such a pussy"

"I've already spoken to the President about that, Aspin is out" said Garrison

"Not a moment too soon" said Colleton

"Captain Pound told me about what you did, in order to save your men. Remember that job I offered you?" asked Garrison.

Despite being exhausted, The 3 men did the 5 miles back to the soccer stadium in just over 30 minutes. And much to Tony's surprise, Martin kept up with them all the way. As they ran through the gates of the stadium, Tony saw General Garrison waiting for them. They all came to attention, saluted as Tony said "Captain DiNozzo, and Sergeants Ben-Gidon and Martin reporting, Sir" he said.

Garrison returned the salute and said" At ease boys. You've all done a fine job. Your Country is in your debt" said Garrison.

"Job ain't finished yet sir. Chief Warrant Officer Mike Durant is till out there. Randy and Gary died trying to save him. I ain't going home till we get Mike out" said Tony.

"Me as well" said Malachi.

"Well boys, that's not my call, I'll leave that up to your new CO" said Garrison.

"New CO?" asked Tony.

"McCoy's out, for good" said Garrison, which made both Tony and Malachi smile.

"Then who's our new CO?" asked Tony.

"Me" said a voice coming from behind Garrison. Tom Colleton stepped out from behind Garrison, The Silver Eagles on his collar shined in the morning sun. "And the 3 of us ain't going no where. We got a man to rescue" said COLONEL Colleton. Then Colleton took an envelope out of his pocket. "Your orders, Sergeant Martin. You're headed to back to Fort Bragg" said Colleton, handing him the envelope.

"Sir?" Martin asked.

"You intend to enter selection don't you?" asked Colleton.

"Yes Sir" said Martin as he snapped to attention and saluted. Tony and Malachi could only laugh.

25 days later

CWO Mike Durant was being held in a burnt out warehouse, which was located along the water's edge in the port of Mogadishu. For 25 days he had been beaten and tortured, but he still refused to give up. He woke with a start, as he heard a huge explosion go off. He slowly stood up, which wasn't easy, and looked out his window, which had bars on it. Must be their ammo dump he thought. Then he heard what he thought were muffled, or maybe even silenced gun shots coming from the hall. He turned around just before the wooden cell door was kicked open, and two figures appeared. Both were dressed in black, with night vision goggles on. In their hands they each held a suppressed Mac-10 submachine gun.

"Mike?" one of them asked. Durant recognized the voice instantly

"DiNozzo?" he asked.

"Hang on Mike, we're taking you home. Pick him up Mal" ordered Tony. Malachi handed his Mac-10 to Tony. Malachi walked over and pulled Mike onto his back. Then just as quickly as they came, they were gone.

24 hours later

Probationary Agent Leroy Jeathro Gibbs of NCIS was sitting at bar nursing a beer at McMurphy's Tavern in Washington D.C, when something on the T.V caught his eye.

"This is Stuart Dunston for ZNN reporting to you live from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. I hope you can hear me over cheers and screams of joy as just moments ago, Chief Warrant Officer Michael Durant of The 160th SOAR 'Nightstalkers' returned home following his being held prisoner for 25 days in Somalia"

Kate DiNozzo was listening to the TV as she folded laundry in the living room of her home at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

"While The White House will not release the names of the rescuers, as their names are classified, President Clinton did confirm that the men responsible are members of The US Army's Elite and highly secret, Delta Force"

Both Kate and Gibbs could only smile.

Chapters 6-9 are dedicated to the Men of The Rangers, The Nightstalkers and Delta Force who fought and died during The Battle of Mogadishu.

"For he who sheds his blood with me today shall be my brother"- William Shakespeare

By the time the battle of Mogadishu ended on October 4th, 3 Delta Force Operators and 15 Rangers had been killed in action. These 18 brave men, made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom of people they had never even met. These Men are heroes, and whose story shall live forever across time.

In November, 1993, Secretary of Defense Les Aspin was forced to resign after both Democrats and Republicans alike, as well as the General Public, blamed him (and in my opinion rightfully so) for failing to adequately to support TF Ranger during Operation Gothic Serpent.

The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.